Note: I talk a lot about jazz in this lesson, because I’m a jazz guitarist. BUT these modes and exercises can be used by guitarists of any genre to open your fretboard and become a better soloist across the guitar.

Each parent scale is presented in the order of most common modes, major, to the least common modes, harmonic major.

This isn’t to say that you shouldn’t study the harmonic major modes.

It’s just that you want to get the most common modes under your fingers first, before exploring less common modes.

You don’t have to work these modes in the order given, especially for intermediate or advanced guitarists.

But, for beginners, it’s best to start at the beginning and work through the modes from that starting point.

Lastly, there’s a lifetime of study here, so there’s no rush to learn all 28 modes presented below.

Go slow, take the time to understand each mode, learn it on the guitar, and apply it to soloing exercises until you’ve internalized that mode to the point that you won’t forget it.

From there, move on to the next mode.

As well, if you forget a mode, or aren’t fully comfortable with one, return to that mode and review it in your studies.

Experience Levels and the Guide

As there’s a lot of information in this guide, it’s recommended that you set reasonable practice goals for your experience level.

To help you decide where to begin and set appropriate goals, here’s a breakdown of the lessons below.

Beginner

For players just starting to explore guitar scales, it’s best to proceed with the following approach to the guide.

Start with the Major Modes, in order, and work down from there.

Learn each mode in the given key.

Learn two fingerings for each mode, one from the 6th and one from the 5th string.

Solo over the backing tracks with those 2 fingerings.

Apply the practice patterns if comfortable.

Intermediate

Players with 1 year or more of experience can approach the guide with the following practice goals.

Review any modes you’ve studied previously.

Learn modes you haven’t studied before.

Learn all modes in 12 keys.

Learn all four fingerings for each mode.

Learn the practice patterns for each mode fingering.

Learn the sample lick for each mode.

Solo with the mode, practice pattern, and lick over the backing tracks.

Lesson Organization

After a short introduction and summary of each parent scale, the seven modes in that system are explored in detail.

For each mode, there are five sections:

Mode Fingerings and Application

In these sections, you’ll learn about how to solo with each mode, as well as learn background information on that mode.

Think of this section as a brief intro to the mode, and then that information is unpacked in the sections that follow.

Mode Interval Formula

Here, you’ll learn how to build each mode by altering one note from a previous mode you’ve learned in this guide.

Mode Fingerings

In this section you’ll learn four fingerings for each mode in the guide. There’s a backing track for every mode in this section, so you can practice soloing with each mode without having to leave the page.

Harmonic Major Mode 3 Lick

Once you’ve worked on the fingerings and practice pattern for this mode, you can study a sample line that features the third mode of harmonic major over the V7 chord in a ii V I in F major.

You’ll notice how much tension is created by this mode, which is then resolved into the Imaj7 chord during the next bar.

This mode is a fun choice over 7th chords, but it does create a large amount of tension, and so be sure to work on resolving this mode in your playing so it keeps the hip sound and doesn’t sound like a mistake in your lines.